F&ES deptt recruitment: 109 candidates selected despite securing lower marks, reveals ACB probe

Srinagar, Jan 2: In what could spark an outrage over recruitment process in Jammu & Kashmir, an investigation by the Anti- Corruption Bureau (ACB) has revealed that 109 candidates secured lower marks than the cutoff marks in the job test in the Fire & Emergency Services Department in 2020, but were selected by showing them to have secured higher marks in the final selection list than the marks actually secured by them.
The premier anti-graft body also found that five real brothers from Budgam district, along with relatives of officials from the Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) Department and candidates from the same localities, figured in the selection list.
In an official handout, the ACB said that a manual review of the OMR sheets vis-a-vis answer keys revealed discrepancies in the selection process.
“Out of 690 selected candidates, 109 were found to have secured lower marks than the cutoff marks, but were selected by showing them to have secured higher marks in the final selection list than the marks actually secured by them. For instance, candidates actually securing 11, 17, 24 marks were shown to have secured 90 marks each in the final selection list,” it said.
The ACB said it found that five real brothers from district Budgam were selected and multiple such instances, besides, selection of some relatives of officials of Fire &Emergency Services Department, and the instances of the selected candidates belonging to the same localities have surfaced during the course of enquiry.
The probe revealed that the question papers were found beyond the comprehension of candidates who have studied upto 8th standard which is the required minimum qualification.
The probe also revealed favouritism in selection of firm for conducting job tests.
“It surfaced that favoritism was shown in awarding contract to L-2 Firm, M/s LMES IT LLP, which had no proven experience of conducting similar exercise as mandated in the e-NIT by sidelining L-1 bidder. Further, the bid of L-2 was accepted by the Departmental Recruitment Board knowing that L-2 was a newly formed Firm in November, 2017 and Maharaj Krishan Wali (main partner with 99% share) was the same person who had earlier remained as resource person with M/s Timing Technology (P) Ltd. As per CVC guidelines /circular/order, the negotiation shall be held with L-1 only and there should be re-tendering in case L-1 bidder backs out, but the guideline /order was not complied with in this case,” the probe found.
In 2019, Hyderabad-based M/s Timing Technologies India Pvt. Ltd was selected to conduct the physical test/written examination for Fire & Emergency Service. The resource person of M/s Timing Technologies India Pvt. Ltd was Sh. Maharaj Krishan Wali.
Following allegations of mass copying etc. in the written test, the Government then cancelled the written examination and ordered to conduct written examination afresh.
The ACB found the then members of Departmental Recruitment Board, members of Technical Committee, Officers/Officials of F&ES Department, who remained associated with the recruitment process, being in league with each other as well as with M/S LMES IT LLP through its main partner Maharaj Krishan Wali (L-2 bidder), abused their official positions for extraneous considerations whereby they awarded work of TRP in favor of L-2 bidder by ignoring L-1 bidder in an illegal and unjustified manner, besides manipulated the selection list by preparing fake / fabricated record in order to confer undue benefits upon themselves and the beneficiaries.
“The aforementioned facts constitute commission of offences punishable under sections 7, 13(1) (a) & 13 (2) of PC Act 1988 (as Amended in 2018) and 120-B, 420, 467, 468 & 471 IPC, against the members of Departmental Recruitment Board, including the Chairmen, Members of the Technical Committee, officers/officials of F&ES department, who remained associated with the recruitment process, M/S LMES IT LLP through its main partner Maharaj Krishan Wali, beneficiaries & others. Consequently, a case FIR No 01/2025 was registered in Police Station ACB Central,” reads the ACB statement. (KNO)